My dog is ophidiophobic!

[MacHete]

Yesterday, Kathy went to dinner with some of her family. They picked her up and I- being a thoughtful husband and consummate gentleman- saw her to the car. As I returned to the house, I noticed this on the front stoop:

Just an ordinary corn snake- no doubt looking for some of the five-lined skinks that usually hang out on our front step. (Sorry, no pictures of those.) I had seen one in the backyard a couple of years ago that was only about a foot long. Based on what little I could see of this specimen, and knowing that the crevice it was occupying was pretty small, I reasoned that it was about 14" -16" long. It looked as though it was stuck, so I touched it to try to ellicit a response.

It threw a half-coil at me and was obviously annoyed, but too preoccupied with rooting out skinks to properly admonish me. So, I left it to it's snakely business and went inside to get ready for my walk with Code. Code and I took a fairly quick walk around our usual route without many side-trips. I had forgotten about the snake until I noticed it was still lodged in between the step and the stoop. I pointed it out to Code, who went in for a curious sniff- and then recoilled in near panic! He moon-walked away from the porch and would not come closer. I actually had to stand in front of the snake, and completely shield Code with my body to get him to go up the steps behind me and inside the house.

This surprised me, because I had seen him go after snakes several times when we lived in Kentucky. He would often dig up a mole or chase down a deermouse in our yard there, but I could always tell when he was onto a snake. He was much more tentative, and would dodge his head back like a boxer ducking jabs- but he did stay on the serpentine "quarry."

I don't know when or how he developed this rather healthy respect for snakes, but I am somewhat grateful for it, since copperheads and timber rattlers are much more common here.

I checked for the snake again as I left for work and saw that it was no longer in the crevice. I then noticed a tail slowly slipping over the corner of the stoop. I tried to pick it up this time, but the other end was already wrapped around the branches of the bush. It thrashed about vigorously for a moment and than shot to the other side of the bush. I came around just in time to see that it was quite a bit bigger than I originally thought. It was not quite two feet long, which is a perfectly respectable length for a growing corn snake. I only wish it would focus on the mice under the house rather than the skinks.

 

[mymindisamob]

Very Cool! Thanks for sharing.

 

[crbauhs]

Snakes have always fascinated me. That one none the less.

 

[Joel Stave]

I don't know when or how he developed this rather healthy respect for snakes...

I'm going to guess that at some point, one of Code's (non-poisonous) serpentine quarries, turned around and bit him on the nose, and he learned his lesson. I just wish my dog would learn the same lesson involving porcupines.

 

[nc527]

I hate snakes. I know they serve a purpose for mice etc. but I almost always kill them. I once was in my father workshop, pulled a drawer open on the cabnet, then looked up to find a 4ft copperhead staring at me. At first It didnt move so i thought it was some play toy(I was about 9) But then It flicked its tounge out.

 

[MacHete]

I'm going to guess that at some point, one of Code's (non-poisonous) serpentine quarries, turned around and bit him on the nose, and he learned his lesson. I just wish my dog would learn the same lesson involving porcupines.

You are probably right. I believe I would have noticed any real wound on his nose, but I'm sure it wouldn't take much of a nip to earn some respect from him. I'm glad we don't have too many porcupines around here- one lesson about messing with them would be more than enough for both me and Code.

We went out for our walk today and on our way back in, spotted this survivor of the earlier snake expedition:

I guess this one would be an "adolescent" because the young have gorgeous, bright blue tails and almost golden stripes. The adults are almost uniformly the color of an earthworm- not nearly as pretty. This guy (or gal?) was about 5-6" long.

 

[Helle]

I like corn snakes.

Thanks for the great pics and story.

 

[DocArnie]

My dog jumps backwards when he sees a snake. It's a healthy survival instinct IMO.

 

[TheGame]

I hate snakes. I know they serve a purpose for mice etc. but I almost always kill them.

You kill them? Just for fun? I mean, I don't like rattle snakes, but I don't kill them if I see them, I just ignore them..

On the topic, I find that odd, as when my dogs see a snake, they will bark at it..